Gattle-troughl



Patented may 23, |899.

S.. A. GAEDE. CATTLE TRUGI'I.

(Application med oec. s1, 189e.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. GARDE, OF DE VITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

CATTLE-TROUG H.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,390, dated May 23., 189,9.

Application nled October 31. 1898. Serial No. 695,125. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. GAEDE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the county of De IVitt, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Troughs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a trough intended for use in either feeding or watering cattle generally, but which is designed more especially for feeding and watering hogs.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved trough of that class in which the space above the trough proper is divided by a number of partitions arranged in zigzag form into a number of stalls opening alternately at opposite sides of the trough.

The invention consists in the features of novelty that are herein fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification, Figure l is a front elevation of a trough embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 -is a vertical transverse section thereof on the line 4 4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragment thereof, showing some of the parts in detail.

A represents the trough proper, which in the preferred form is made of a piece of sheet metal of curved crossesectional shape, having its margins ct bent downward to form iianges that project over a pair of rails B, the eX- treinities of the rails being secured to end pieces C, which support the rails. At each side of the trough is a footboard D, the extremities of said board being secured to the ends C, while ltheir inner edges are secured to the rails B. A trough of this construction has the advantage of being without any internal angles or crevices in which matter can lodge and decay, and it has the further advantage of providing a rest for the front feet of the animals, and thereby preventing the forming of a mire at the sides of the trough.

"While I prefer to use a trough of the construction above described and to sell such a trough in connection with the parts hereinafter described, still I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited to a trough of this construction. Nor do I pro pose always to sell a trough in connection with the parts hereinafter described, it being my intention to sell such hereinafter-described parts separately when desired to be applied to any trough 'that the purchaser may happen to have.

The space above the trough is dividedoif into a numberof stalls, each of which is large enough to admit the head of the animal and each of which is so disposed that in its endeavor to get at the feed or water the animal will naturally take a position substantially at right angles to the trough and in this way avoid obstructing adjacent stalls. The stalls are the result of a number of partitions E, which are preferably disposed in zigzag fash-l ion, so that the stalls will open alternately at opposite sides of the trough, and in this way every bit of available space from end to end of the trough is utilized to the best possible advantage, thereby enabling the feeding of a maximum nulnberof animals with a trough of any given length. Preferably, also, the partitions are made of a continuous piece of sheet material bent to zigzag form, and for this purpose sheet-iron may be used. The partitions are provided with lugs or ears F, which rest upon the sides ofthe trough and are slotted for the passage of the elongated heads of turn-buttons G, the stems of the turn-buttons being driven into or otherwise secured to the sides of the trough. With this arrangement by turning the heads of all of the turn-buttons to positions parallel with the slots the partitions may be placed in or removed from position upon the trough,'and when in position by turning the heads across the slots the partitions are retained in place.

At one end of the trough the strip of which the partitions are made is bent to form a well I, into which leads the pipe J for supplying the trough with water, the passage of water from the pipe being controlled by a valve K, which in turn is controlled by a float L, disposed in the Well I.

At a height above the heads of the animals while feeding or drinking the stalls are provided with hoppers having openings discharging into the stalls at the back thereof. These hoppers are the result of plates M, placed in inclined positions and proceeding rearward past the centers of the stalls nearly to the ICO backs thereof, so as to leave between the rear edges of the bottom plates and the backs of the stalls restricted openin gs m, through which the feed dumped into the hoppers is discharged into the stalls at the back thereof. With this arrangement, although the animals may have their heads in the stalls at the time the feed is dumped into the trough,

'the hoppers will direct the feed into thev backs of the stalls and prevent it from falling on the heads or shoulders of the animals. In orderto support these plates, the partitions are provided with flanges e, upon which the partitions rest and to which they are secured, preferably,by rivets. The flanges are formed by providing each of the partitions with a centrally-disposed slit extending a suitable distance downward from the top thereof, and the metal upon opposite sides of the slit of each partition is bent in opposite directions, thereby providing each partition with two flanges projecting from its opposite sides,one into one stall and the other into the adjacent stall.- In order to more clearly show the construction and location of these flanges, two 0f the plates M are omitted from Fig. 3. The result of this peculiar construction is a series of hoppers (see Fig. 4) the walls of which are practically continuous and of equal height, with an opening for admitting feed from each hopper into the corresponding stall.

lV hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is=

l. A cattle-trough having a trough proper, a number of partitions arranged zigzag and resulting in stalls opening alternately at opposite sides of the trough proper, and a series of hoppers above the trough, the bottom of each hopper being continued rearward past the center of the corresponding stall, nearly to the back thereof, so as to leave between the rear edge of said bottom and the back of the stall an opening for discharging feed into the back of the stall, substantially as set forth.

2. A cattle-trough havinga number of par titions forlned of a single piece of sheet ma terial bent to zigzag form, resulting in a numa ber of stalls opening alternately at opposite sides of the trough, each of said partitions being provided with flanges projecting into the stalls, and inclined yplates supported by the flanges, substantially as set forth.

3. A cattle-trough having a number of partitions formed of a single piece of sheet material bent to zigzag form, resulting in a number of stalls opening alternately at opposite sides of the trough, slotted lugs or ears pr0 jecting from the partitions at their intersec; tions, and turn buttons having elongated heads secured to the trough and adapted to occupy the slots, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL A. GAEDE.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. DUoKe-EISCHEL, L. M. HOPKINS. 

